Fully Annotated Traxler Game
20 Nov '07 18:202 editsGame 4262472
1. e4 – {In the unlikely event of chess actually being ‘solved’, I am nearly certain that this will be the opening move in a perfect game of chess.}
1. … e5 – {My preferred response to e4.}
2. Nf3 – {The best move with the possible exception of f4 in this position.}
2. … Nc6 – {No surprise. Black replies to the white development logically.}
3. Bc4 – {The Italian opening. One of the most heavily analyzed lines in all of chess.}
3. … Nf6!? – {White can now win a pawn or a ton of tempo with Ng5, although black gets some compensation in terms of an attack.}
4. Ng5 – {d3 can also be played here although Ng5 is best.}
4. … Bc5!? – {Probably the sharpest line in chess. It is called by two names: The Traxler Gambit, and the Wilkes-Barre Counterattack.}
5. Nxf7!? – {At the GM level Bxf7+ is almost always played. Nxf7 is very sharp and is, in my opinion, advantageous for black.}
5. … Bxf2+! – {If you are going to play this line, you must know this move. Otherwise black is down a rook with no compensation.}
6. Kf1! – {Kxf2? Ruins white’s chances for a win and often loses.}
6. … Qe7 – {Probably the quietest move you’ll see black play all game.}
7. Nxh8 – {I’m still trying to find a better move for white here in my personal analysis although at this point I’m sure white is safe to take the rook.}
7. … d5 – {Still following a well known Traxler line.}
8. exd5 – {Not Bxd5? Due to Bg4! Winning the white queen.}
8. … Nd4 – {Adding a little more pressure to white. The logical move here.}
9. c3? – {Yes, it is mainline but it is wrong. d6 is better here. Although it is too complicated to say for certain, c3 is usually winning for black, sometimes drawing, and never winning for white with accurate play.}
9. … Bg4! – {White has but one move, a move once deemed to be accurate due to a gain in ‘tempo’ from the check. This previous analysis was far too hypothetical to be accurate in such a tactical line.}
10. Qa4+ - {White’s only move. At this point black is pretty much safe.}
10. … Nd7! – {Opening up a nice spot for the black queen.}
11. Kxf2 – {I don’t see why not. This move will receive more analysis by myself in the future.}
11. … Qh4+! – {Black can now draw the game on will it seems.}
12. g3 – {What else?}
12. … Qf6+ - {Again, a very logical move, continuing to strangle to white king.}
13. Ke1! – {All other moves lead to mate very quickly.}
13. … Qf5!! – {Nf3+ is the move fritz finds, and is also the ‘mainline’ if such a rarely played line could have such a thing. Nf3+ draws however. This move wins, as black is now able to demonstrate.}
14. cxd4 – {This was probably a hard decision for white but I’m sure it was the best move.}
14. … Qe4+ - {Again challenging the white king and carrying him closer and closer to defeat.}
15. Kf2 – {All other moves lead to mate very quickly, this one wasn’t too hard for either of us to find.}
15. … Qf3+ - {It was here that I became convinced of the black win. White has all but run out of options.}
16. Ke1 – {Only safe move.}
16. … Qxh1 – {Black could have drawn with Qe4 but decided to play for the win that I had already claimed I had to my opponent.}
17. Bf1 – {Seems to be best.}
17. … Qxh2! – {Threatening mate with Qxg3. White has only one move here, and it’s a real hard one to find.}
18. d3! – {He found it. A good move that finally allows white to begin developing pieces, albeit for defensive reasons.}
18. … 0-0-0! – {Getting the rook into play.}
19. Nc3! – {All other moves seem to lead to mate.}
19. … Qxg3+ - {Nothing fancy here, this seems to be the only move.}
20. Kd2 – {Forced.}
20. … Nb6!? – {Qf2 looked more straightforward. I think this move is better though.}
21. Qa5 – {Hard to annotate this move. If a stronger player has a nice, objective opinion on this move I’d love to hear it.}
21. … Qf2 – {Looks like the only logical move.}
22. Be2 – {Only move.}
22. … exd4! – {Not much left for white in the game now.}
23. d6 – {Not helping.}
23. … Rxd6? – {I took a while to convince myself this move was best. Just being safe I guess. Turns out dxc3 was probably better.}
24. Kd1 – {Missed this move. As my opponent so nicely put it it’s the ‘light at the end of the tunnel’.}
24. … Qf1 – {Time to simplify and take what I can. There’s no mate here.}
25. Kc2 – {Kd2 would have been ridiculous. There was no question about move here.}
25. … Bxe2 – {Simplifying}
26. Nxe2 – {Duh.}
26. … Qxe2+ - {Finally a few easy moves. }
27. Qd2 – {Blocking the check.}
27. … Qe8 – {Preparing to snatch up the hanging material. I was disappointed that I couldn’t find a mid-game mate here but a win is a win is a win, right?}
28-43 – Not much left in the game, I haven’t really analyzed it being as my opponent had already talked about resigning.
I must thank Mad Mac MacMad for playing this game against me. He is the first person on this site to challenge me to a rated game in this opening. He played better than I’ve ever seen white play in this line. As if to make a good game even better, he then joined my clan! You’re my hero MacMad!
This game has done a lot to convince me (and Mac) that the Traxler is sound. If you have any questions or comments please post them, I’m really interested in this opening.
1. e4 – {In the unlikely event of chess actually being ‘solved’, I am nearly certain that this will be the opening move in a perfect game of chess.}
1. … e5 – {My preferred response to e4.}
2. Nf3 – {The best move with the possible exception of f4 in this position.}
2. … Nc6 – {No surprise. Black replies to the white development logically.}
3. Bc4 – {The Italian opening. One of the most heavily analyzed lines in all of chess.}
3. … Nf6!? – {White can now win a pawn or a ton of tempo with Ng5, although black gets some compensation in terms of an attack.}
4. Ng5 – {d3 can also be played here although Ng5 is best.}
4. … Bc5!? – {Probably the sharpest line in chess. It is called by two names: The Traxler Gambit, and the Wilkes-Barre Counterattack.}
5. Nxf7!? – {At the GM level Bxf7+ is almost always played. Nxf7 is very sharp and is, in my opinion, advantageous for black.}
5. … Bxf2+! – {If you are going to play this line, you must know this move. Otherwise black is down a rook with no compensation.}
6. Kf1! – {Kxf2? Ruins white’s chances for a win and often loses.}
6. … Qe7 – {Probably the quietest move you’ll see black play all game.}
7. Nxh8 – {I’m still trying to find a better move for white here in my personal analysis although at this point I’m sure white is safe to take the rook.}
7. … d5 – {Still following a well known Traxler line.}
8. exd5 – {Not Bxd5? Due to Bg4! Winning the white queen.}
8. … Nd4 – {Adding a little more pressure to white. The logical move here.}
9. c3? – {Yes, it is mainline but it is wrong. d6 is better here. Although it is too complicated to say for certain, c3 is usually winning for black, sometimes drawing, and never winning for white with accurate play.}
9. … Bg4! – {White has but one move, a move once deemed to be accurate due to a gain in ‘tempo’ from the check. This previous analysis was far too hypothetical to be accurate in such a tactical line.}
10. Qa4+ - {White’s only move. At this point black is pretty much safe.}
10. … Nd7! – {Opening up a nice spot for the black queen.}
11. Kxf2 – {I don’t see why not. This move will receive more analysis by myself in the future.}
11. … Qh4+! – {Black can now draw the game on will it seems.}
12. g3 – {What else?}
12. … Qf6+ - {Again, a very logical move, continuing to strangle to white king.}
13. Ke1! – {All other moves lead to mate very quickly.}
13. … Qf5!! – {Nf3+ is the move fritz finds, and is also the ‘mainline’ if such a rarely played line could have such a thing. Nf3+ draws however. This move wins, as black is now able to demonstrate.}
14. cxd4 – {This was probably a hard decision for white but I’m sure it was the best move.}
14. … Qe4+ - {Again challenging the white king and carrying him closer and closer to defeat.}
15. Kf2 – {All other moves lead to mate very quickly, this one wasn’t too hard for either of us to find.}
15. … Qf3+ - {It was here that I became convinced of the black win. White has all but run out of options.}
16. Ke1 – {Only safe move.}
16. … Qxh1 – {Black could have drawn with Qe4 but decided to play for the win that I had already claimed I had to my opponent.}
17. Bf1 – {Seems to be best.}
17. … Qxh2! – {Threatening mate with Qxg3. White has only one move here, and it’s a real hard one to find.}
18. d3! – {He found it. A good move that finally allows white to begin developing pieces, albeit for defensive reasons.}
18. … 0-0-0! – {Getting the rook into play.}
19. Nc3! – {All other moves seem to lead to mate.}
19. … Qxg3+ - {Nothing fancy here, this seems to be the only move.}
20. Kd2 – {Forced.}
20. … Nb6!? – {Qf2 looked more straightforward. I think this move is better though.}
21. Qa5 – {Hard to annotate this move. If a stronger player has a nice, objective opinion on this move I’d love to hear it.}
21. … Qf2 – {Looks like the only logical move.}
22. Be2 – {Only move.}
22. … exd4! – {Not much left for white in the game now.}
23. d6 – {Not helping.}
23. … Rxd6? – {I took a while to convince myself this move was best. Just being safe I guess. Turns out dxc3 was probably better.}
24. Kd1 – {Missed this move. As my opponent so nicely put it it’s the ‘light at the end of the tunnel’.}
24. … Qf1 – {Time to simplify and take what I can. There’s no mate here.}
25. Kc2 – {Kd2 would have been ridiculous. There was no question about move here.}
25. … Bxe2 – {Simplifying}
26. Nxe2 – {Duh.}
26. … Qxe2+ - {Finally a few easy moves. }
27. Qd2 – {Blocking the check.}
27. … Qe8 – {Preparing to snatch up the hanging material. I was disappointed that I couldn’t find a mid-game mate here but a win is a win is a win, right?}
28-43 – Not much left in the game, I haven’t really analyzed it being as my opponent had already talked about resigning.
I must thank Mad Mac MacMad for playing this game against me. He is the first person on this site to challenge me to a rated game in this opening. He played better than I’ve ever seen white play in this line. As if to make a good game even better, he then joined my clan! You’re my hero MacMad!
This game has done a lot to convince me (and Mac) that the Traxler is sound. If you have any questions or comments please post them, I’m really interested in this opening.
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